Smith



(No Model.)

B. B. DSMITH. LB BNCIL.

No. 500,001. Patented June 20, 1803.

z /m- EMI wmf-71 y UNITED STATES PATENT 'OEEICR BYRON BENJAMINeOLDsMITI-I, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

LEAD-PENCIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,061, dated June 20,1893.

Application tiled October 13, 1890. Serial No. 867,979. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BYRON BENJAMIN GOLD- sMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lead-Pencils, of

. which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to improvements in pencils, pencil and penholders, and other like articles, all of which are comprised in thegeneric term pencil, and all of which I mean to include by the termlead-pencil.

Broadly speaking, the invention consists in a lead-pencil, the exposedsurface of which consists lof a film of pyroxyline, which film may besimply applied to the wooden surface of the lead-pencil, or may beapplied both to the Wooden surface and to a superimposed film ofordinary resin varnish. v

I have'found that pyroxyline in solution, when applied as a varnish, towooden or other fibrous surfaces, does not, like ordinary varvnishes,raise the ber of the wood, but keeps .roxyline, but on the contrary, thewood fiber is perceptibly compressed or laid down, by reason of thelclose contraction of the pyroxyline when its vehicle or solventevaporates. A great saving in the manufacture of lead-pencils is therebyaccomplished, since the sandpapering and burnishing of the wood may bealtogether, or at least in a great measure, omitted, and the pyroxylinevarnish may be applied upon the wood immediately after the same has beendelivered from the shaping tools.

A lead-pencil, the exposed surface of which consists of a film or filmsof pyroxyline, has

. the advantage and utility over lead-pencils of Ordinary varnish, andthen covering the latter-with an additional coat or coats of pyroxylinevarnish. In both cases, the exposed surface of the lead-pencil ispyroxyline, which resists the otherwise injurious effect of handling.

' In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification,I have illustrated in cross-section, a lead-pencil embodying myinvention. In this drawing, l, represents the graphite or lead of thepencil; 2, the wooden mantle of the same, and 3, 4, 8', the layers ofpyroxyline and resin varnishes, applied to the wooden mantle, 3, 3',being the layers of pyroxyline, and 4, the film or films of resinvarnish.

As before stated, I may stop the manufacture after the application ofthe first film of pyroxyline, which will lay down thewoodfiber, andprevent the disiigurement of the surface by handling; but in order togive to the-pencil its Ornamental gloss, a number of coats of pyroxylinedirectly superimposed upon each other,'may be used, and the layer ofpyroxyline marked in the drawing by the numeral 3, may consist of suchlnumber of coats, and be then ready for the market.

To still further intensify the gloss of the pencil, I ordinarily, butnot necessarily, apply to the pyroxyline film or films, one or morecoats of Ordinary resin varnish 4, upon which the name of themanufacturer, the trademark, and ornamental designs, may be stamped andgilded, which cannot practically be done upon the pyroxyline surface. Ifnow, the lead-pencil were left in this condition, it would be subject todisiigurement by handling, asis the case with all lead-pencils theexposed surfaces of which are made of resins. For this reason, wheneverI apply upon the pyroxyline varnish next to the wood, an ordinary resinIvarnish, my invention calls for an additional coat or coats ofpyroxyline, 3', which furnishes the necessary protection againstscratching, in accordance with my invention.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that by my invention, Isecure two beneiicial results; first, the prevention of the raising ofthe fiber of the wood; and secondly, the preservation of the gloss ofthe lead-pencil; and these two results are obtained whether I only use asingle coat of pyroxyline (which may consist of a number of superimposedfilms) applied directly to the wood, or whether I use the series ofcoats, pyroxyline, resin, and pyroxyline.

It will be readily understood that it is with# in my invention toburnish or polish the successive layers of pyroxyline, and ordinaryvarnish, if this should be necessary, or to burnish either of them, andthat it is also Within my invention to tint or color the varnishes, oreither of them, or to apply a dye or dyes-upon either or all the coats,or varnishes.

In this specification, the terms pyroxyline and pyroxyline varnish, areused indifferently as designating pure pyroxyline and pyroxylinevarnish, respectively, or these substances when mixed with a suitablequantity of resin or resin varnish, since I have found that a moderateadmixture of resin or resin varnish does not seriously affect thepeculiar utility of pyroxyline or pyroxyline varnish.

I do not herein claim broadly a lead pencil having a coat or coats ofpyroxyline upon its exposed surface, since this is claimed by me in myapplication Serial No. 367,979, filed on September 28, 1892, as acontinuation of this case. y

Having now fullydescribed my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- Y As an article of manu facture, alead-.pencil, havingits wooden surface covered with pyroxyline, a layer of ordinary varnishupon the pyroxyline surface, and an additional layer of pyroxyline upon4the ordinary varnish, substantially as described.

rIn testimony whereof ,I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BYRON BENJAMIN GOLDSMITH.

Vitnesses:

G. A. GARSMITH, ALBERT WEIssENBoRN.

